?Chapter 206:


    Sandra stood motionless, her jaw ck, unable to find her voice. Her wide eyes shimmered with panic, the slow, creeping dread of dreams turning to dust settling in her chest.


    As soon as the organizer and Brielle confirmed that Maia was, in fact, K, any hope Sandra had pinned on Rosanna evaporated into thin air. Jarrod’s eyes widened in disbelief, his body stiffening as if turned to stone. The truth that Maia was K crashed down on him with the force of an avnche, leaving him trembling, teetering on the edge of copse.


    Even Vince felt a sharp throb behind his temples. The absurdity of the scene unfolded before him like a bad theater show, so surreal that he half-wondered if he had lost his grip on reality.


    When had Maia be K? And how had he, of all people, been kept in the dark?


    Vince’s mind ground to a halt, paralyzed. The Maia he once knew—the girl who had once looked at him as if he were the center of her universe—now seemed like a ghost from another life.


    He nced up at Maia, who now sat confidently at the judges’ table, bathed in the spotlight, shining like a lone star piercing the midnight sky.


    Beside him, Rosanna’s voice rang out in desperation, her plea almost shrill. “Vince, you can’t let them throw me out! I haven’t evenpeted yet! Maia spent four years in prison—how could she possibly be K? That’s impossible! She doesn’t know anything!”


    Vince hesitated for a heartbeat, then instinctively stepped forward, shielding Rosanna from the approaching staff. He lifted his eyes to Maia, torn between pride and desperation.


    Maia’s cold, detached gaze swept over Vince and Rosanna, her demeanor lofty, as if they were no more than insignificant specks beneath her feet. In that moment, for Rosanna’s sake—and for the reputation of the Ward family—the proud heir found himself bowing his head to Maia.


    “Maia,” Vince said stiffly, “I admit Rosanna may have made mistakes in the past, but she didn’t mean any harm. Could you allow her to finish thepetition?”


    Maia shot him a frosty nce but remained silent.


    Vince’s face stiffened, a fresh crack splintering his pride.


    Yet, the staff moved forward undeterred, still set on removing Rosanna. Gritting his teeth, Vince raised his voice, barking, “Stop! I’m Vince Ward! The Ward family invested in this event too! You can’t just throw contestants out like trash!”


    Before Maia could reply, Brielle and Pattie intervened, their displeasure as clear as storm clouds on the horizon.


    Backstage, Pattie let out a cold, mockingugh. “Vince Ward? He dares to raise his voice here? The Ward family’s investment is a mere drop in this ocean. What right does he have to bark orders?”


    The organizer’s leader eagerly nodded in agreement. “Yes, yes, Ms. Miller. Please, don’t withdraw. You’re our major investor.”


    Onstage, Brielle’s gaze, icy and piercing, fixed on Vince. “She’s lucky we’re not pressing charges for disruption. And yet you stand here, making demands? Who was it, earlier, that dared to insult K so brazenly in front of me?”


    Vince’s face flushed red with embarrassment. Even his intervention, which had once been his shield and sword, was proving utterly useless.


    Time ticked away relentlessly. With the Livestream about to resume, the organizer paced nervously, like a cat on hot bricks. They couldn’t afford to cram in more ads now, could they?


    The broadcast director scurried to Maia’s side and whispered hurriedly in her ear.


    Maia immediately turned to Brielle and said, her voice steady, “Don’t make things harder for the organizers. Let’s stick to the schedule and continue thepetition. I’d actually like to see what Rosanna can do.”


    Pattie, hearing this, let out a soft chuckle. She nced at the shell-shocked Rosanna and whispered, “I see what Maia means.”


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